When the Third Generation Partnership Project (hereinafter “3GPP”) adopted UMA in April 2005, it also became known as GAN. UMA/GAN describes a telecommunication system allowing seamless roaming and handover between local area networks and wide area networks using a dual-mode mobile phone. Local area networks may be based on the Bluetooth or 802.11 (Wireless Fidelity, hereinafter “WiFi”) standards, while a wide area network may be based on Global System for Mobile communications (hereafter “GSM”), General Packet Radio Service (hereinafter “GPRS”), or Universal Mobile Telecommunications Systems (hereinafter “UMTS”) mobile standards.
The ultimate goal of UMA is fixed/mobile convergence, that is, the convergence of mobile, fixed and internet telephony. By deploying UMA technology, mobile operators (hereinafter “carriers”) can enable subscribers to roam and be handed over between cellular access networks (hereinafter “mobile networks”) and public and private unlicensed wireless networks. This type of handover allows carriers the use of local networks to deliver voice, data and IP Multimedia Subsystems (hereinafter “IMS”) and Session Initiation Protocol (hereinafter “SIP”) type applications to mobile phones. The aim is to provide all mobile, fixed and internet telephony services with a single phone number or service identification number.
With UMA, subscribers receive a consistent user experience for their mobile voice and data services as they transition between networks using a dual-mode phone. Presently, on a cellular network, a mobile device communicates over the air with a base station, through a base station controller, to servers in the core mobile network of the carrier. Under the UMA system, the mobile device establishes a secure IP connection through a gateway to a server called a UMA Network Controller (hereinafter “UNC”) on the carrier's network. The UNC translates the signals coming from the mobile device so that the signals appear to be coming from another base station. Thus, when a mobile device communication moves from a GSM to a WiFi network, it appears to the core mobile network as if the GSM mobile device was simply handed over to a different base station.
If UNCs are used extensively, carriers will not have to erect expensive base stations to cover every area of a neighborhood. Mobile subscribers will have perfect coverage in their homes or offices through UMA network access. Furthermore, a subscriber will not be tied to a Plain Old Telephone System (hereinafter “POTS”) land line telephone when communicating from their home or office. They subscriber can seamlessly transition from his/her home or office UMA network to the cellular network. Finally, the mobile subscriber will enjoy the convenience of having a single phone number.
Currently, the solutions for fixed mobile convergence and the use of the UMA system are tied to WiFi availability and require that the mobile device be dual mode. The mobile device must be capable of detecting at least two different radio technologies, e.g., GSM and WiFi. Therefore, the mobile devices must have two different radios on board. Both radios must be scanning for networks at all times, in case the user roams into an area where a WiFi network exists. This constant search for networks has a large power requirement. As a result, the battery charge is depleted at a rate faster than the battery charge of a single-mode phone. WiFi access is also subject to interference from nearby devices such as microwave ovens and florescent lighting. Furthermore, the addition of WiFi access capability to a mobile device significantly increases the cost. A subscriber is also required to configure the mobile device to access both networks.
What is needed is a method and apparatus for allowing a user to utilize the UMA fixed mobile convergence without requiring a dual mode mobile phone or communication device.
Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of embodiments of the present invention.